If you are considering online college, it is important to understand all of the costs that are involved. While many people look just at tuition when looking at college expenses, there is a bit more to take into account. The task becomes to break down all of the costs associated with online college so that you can make a more informed decision about what is best for you.
When looking at online colleges costs, you need to factor in books, course materials, technology expenses, possible travel costs, and miscellaneous fees into the cost. While some of these expenses are incurred at a traditional institution, some are unique to online college and need to be considered.
Attending college classes online is convenient. It is also accessible to many people who do not live near a physical campus. At the same time, it is important to know what earning an online college degree will cost before it is all said and done. Continue reading to discover what those expenses are and how you can fit them into your budget.
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How Much Should an Online College Course Cost?
The cost of tuition will be the most significant expense associated with attending an online college. This is only natural since that is the reason you are going back to school in the first place. However, determining how much one course should cost is not an exact science. This is why it will differ from one institution to another.
While it is true that colleges save certain physical expenses associated with delivering a course online, there are other fixed costs that do not go away. An online college course is delivered by trained and experienced faculty. The more highly regarded and esteemed the faculty, the more expensive the tuition at that school is likely to be. That is one thing to take into consideration.
When looking at the cost of an online course, it is also important to understand how different colleges view tuition. Some will offer discounts if a certain number of courses are taken per term, while others will allow you to take one or two classes at a time. This will impact the total cost of the program when averaged out during your time at the college.
Most online courses are priced out per credit hour. Most classes are either one or three credits. If you take a math or science class, it could be four hours. Once again, this will impact the cost of your typical online college course. While an introductory English class might cost a total of $1,200 for three hours, a biology class with lab could cost $1,600 because it is four hours.
What Costs Are Associated with Online College?
Depending on where you decide to attend college online, there are quite a few different costs that you will want to be made aware of right from the outset. Understanding what these expenses are at the beginning will help you determine if attending a particular college online will fit into your budget or not. Here are some expenses you will want to keep in mind.
Account for Tuition Costs
Tuition is going to be your major expense. This cannot be avoided, so your choice of school will go a long way towards determining how much you will be spending. Tuition costs will vary quite a bit by type of institution. Private schools, for example, will tend to cost much more per course because they do not receive any type of federal funding.
You will find that public colleges tend to offer the lowest tuition costs. Many community colleges are now offering classes online as well, and these will be the least expensive of the lot. However, it is important to keep in mind that many public and community colleges will have residency restrictions that determine who can take advantage of the lowest tuition.
One other thing to keep in mind is that tuition rates can differ depending on your enrollment status. Do you plan on taking classes full-time or only part-time? Full-time enrollment will often result in a lower cost per credit hour. This is one way to make online college more affordable and ensure that you graduate more quickly
Prepare to Buy Books and Materials
Just because you are not attending class in a physical location does not mean that you will no longer need to buy books. On the contrary, books are every part of an expense for online education as they are in traditional classes. You may find that many of your books are now electronic and available online, but this is still an expense that you will need to account for.
Depending on how many courses you take per semester and what type of program you are in, your books could cost several hundred dollars or more each term. There are ways to reduce this expense, such as renting textbooks or purchasing a license online that is good only for the semester. This is often cheaper than buying them outright.
Along with books, many online courses will have materials fees that you will need to pay. This is often found in science classes that have a lab component. You may need to purchase certain materials that ensure you are able to do your work effectively. Certain professors will also have materials that they ask their students to purchase at the beginning of class.
Other Fees May Apply
As an online college student, there will be no campus to live on. Such housing is often subsidized for traditional campus based students, so it brings down the cost of living while attending classes. Online students will need to make their own rent or mortgage payments. Depending on where you live in the country, this can be quite an expense to consider.
There are also other fees that will need to be paid that will differ from one program to another. There could be lab fees in some classes that need to be paid while ordering certain technology packages might be required in another.
Depending on the program, there may be certain on-campus components that must be factored into the budget. An example would be seminars or workshops that are required during various milestones of the degree program. These typically involve travel and lodging expenses. This is often a component of many Doctoral level online college programs.
Who Has the Cheapest Online Tuition?
When looking for the cheapest online tuition, there are many variables to take into account. Some of those include:
- The type of institution – If you are looking for the cheapest online college, you will want to look for public schools in your state. This is because they are able to offer in-state residents a lower cost of tuition on average than students outside the state will pay. Private colleges will tend to charge the same tuition rate no matter where you live, so that is also something to consider. Keep in mind that not all online colleges will have the specific degree program that you are hoping to pursue.
- Field of study – What you decide to study has a bearing on the cost of tuition as well. While liberal arts and education courses might tend to be a bit less expensive on average, pursuing a degree in the sciences may cost you a bit more. However, it is important to follow your passion, so keep that in mind as you choose an online college and your field of study.
- Level of degree – Another important indicator of which online college has the least expensive online tuition is the level of degree you are pursuing. Associates degrees and certificate programs will tend to be the cheapest, while doctoral programs will charge significantly more per credit hour.
While not all private online colleges are more expensive than their public school counterparts, they typically are. That is why you will notice that the least expensive online colleges tend to be public. This is because they receive some government funding that can be used to offset the cost of tuition.
At this time, the cheapest online tuition in the country can be found at Great Basin College. This is a public college that is located in Nevada. It has just over 3,000 students and offers a range of associate and bachelor’s degree options. Great Basin College also offers nearly 20 different certificate programs.
In-state tuition at Great Basin College is currently just over $3,100 per year. That makes it the least expensive online college in the country at this time if you are residing in the state of Nevada. This is a great option if you are looking for an undergraduate degree in the humanities, liberal arts, business, or education.
Great Basin College is nearly $1,000 cheaper than the next most affordable online college, which is BYU in Idaho. With the exception of Western Governors University and American Public University, 8 of the 10 least expensive online colleges are public institutions.
Are Online Classes Cheaper Than in Person?
On average, online classes are cheaper than in person. This is because many of the expenses associated with teaching classes in person are no longer incurred when conducting classes online. This typically allows colleges to bring down the cost of their tuition accordingly.
Beyond tuition, there are other expenses that tend to be lower when attending college online. Transportation is one of them. No longer do students have to account for the cost of commuting back and forth to school. A class can be attended from anywhere that you have computer access. There are other reduced expenses associated with online college as well.
Wrap-Up
Knowing exactly what costs are associated with online college will help you to make a successful and effective plan from the outset. You want to make sure that you have the money allocated to be able to focus on your studies and earn that degree you have been putting off for far too long. The information in this post should help you to do exactly that.
